In wireless communication, such as communication using a wireless local area network (LAN) conforming to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) 802.11 standard series, a large number of setting items have to be set before use. Examples of the setting items include communication parameters necessary to perform wireless communication, such as a service set identifier (SSID) as a network identifier, an encryption method, an encryption key, an authentication method, and an authentication key. It is excessively troublesome for a user to manually set all of the items.
On the other hand, Wi-Fi Protected Setup (hereinafter referred to as WPS), which is an industry-standard automatic setting method for easily setting communication parameters in wireless apparatuses, has been standardized and increasingly installed on wireless apparatuses. As one of methods for WPS, there is a method using terminal identification information (e.g., information called personal information number (PIN) code) for identifying wireless apparatuses. In this method, terminal identification information generated by an apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a receiving apparatus) that receives communication parameters is registered in an apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a providing apparatus) that provides the communication parameters. Thus, setting information that enables communication according to the above standard is automatically transmitted, received, and set, thereby establishing a connection using a security function.
PTL 1 discloses a technique related to a method for registering terminal identification information at the time of setting of a wireless LAN.
In the case of performing automatic setting of communication parameters by this method using the terminal identification information, if there are a plurality of providing apparatuses, the receiving apparatus has to determine whether or not correct terminal identification information has been registered after having been connected to each of the providing apparatuses. Specifically, upon finding a providing apparatus by a search, the receiving apparatus becomes connected to the found providing apparatus by a wireless LAN conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard series. Association Request/Response defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard series is used for connection. After having been connected to the providing apparatus, the receiving apparatus transmits an extensible authentication protocol-start (EAPOL-start) message and starts a registration protocol defined in WPS. Then, in the registration protocol, the providing apparatus determines whether or not terminal identification information generated by the receiving apparatus is also registered in the providing apparatus and determines whether or not to continue the registration protocol depending on the result.
Thus, in the method of the related art, a providing apparatus to which terminal identification information different from the terminal identification information generated by the receiving apparatus has been input is unnecessarily connected by using Association Request/Response of the wireless LAN.